Report of the Conference of General Spiritual Assistants to the Xth General Chapter of the SFO

Coordination

Franciscan Youth

   Youfra Meetings

World Congress of Church Movements

Twentieth Anniversary of the Renewed Rule

Jubilee of the Franciscan Family

Projects for the Immediate Future

Other Projects

Conclusion

Franciscan Youth

Given the importance of youth for the future of the Franciscan charism, the General Constitutions ask SFO fraternities to take appropriate and dynamic initiatives to promote the vocation of young Franciscans. SFO fraternities commit themselves to generously and enthusiastically provide a fraternal animator to Franciscan Youth fraternities in order to guarantee an adequate secular Franciscan formation. They are also invited to increase relations between SFO and Youfra fraternities by appointing a representative from both fraternities as a member of their respective councils (cf. art. 97). Here too, the major superiors should have a special care for Youfra by appointing capable assistants.

Youfra Meetings

There have been several Youfra meetings at the international level, for example the Youfra meetings during the World Youth Days. At the World Youth Days celebrated in Paris (France), August 19-22, 1997, 67 delegates from 17 countries were present along with Fr. Zvonimir Brusac' and Fr. Ben Brevoort.
At Rome, August 15-20, 2000, the situation of the SFO in Italy negatively impacted the Youfra meetings which were held separately in two different places.
At Toronto (Canada), July 23-28, 2002, 53 delegates from 14 countries were present together with Fr. Ivan Matic'.

Other international meetings include: the first European Youfra congress celebrated at Santiago de Compostella, July 17 - August 1, 1999, with the participation of about fifty Youfra members from Europe; Fr. Nils Thompson and fr. Valentín Redondo were also present. The second European Youfra congress, at Porto (Portugal), August 7-12, 2001, saw 50 participants of European Franciscan Youth along with Fr. Ivan Matic'.

World Congress of Church Movements

The SFO participated with five secular Franciscans and one general assistant, Fr. Nils Thompson, in the World Congress of Church Movements in Rome from May 27-30, 1998. Numerous groups of regional fraternities from Italy and small groups from other countries participated in the big meeting with the Pope on May 30th at St. Peters square.

Twentieth Anniversary of the Renewed Rule

The Conference of General Spiritual Assistants prepared the liturgy for the opening of the year of celebrations in occasion of the twenty years of the renewed Rule approved by Paul VI. It started on May 30, 1998, with the participation of delegations from various countries and was concluded at the intermediate General Chapter in Madrid, October 28, 1999, with a day of reflection on the topic: "The SFO facing the challenges of 2000," presented by Fr. Hermann Schalück OFM.

Jubilee of the Franciscan Family

For the Jubilee Year 2000 the Franciscan Family celebrated two days of meetings of the family with the participation of the Conference of General Spiritual Assistants: the first day was held in Assisi on April 8 and focused on penance and prayer. The second day, April 9, was held in Rome at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran and was more festive and celebrative.

Projects for the Immediate Future

For the new six year period which starts with the present General Chapter of the SFO, the General Spiritual Assistants see two principal fields of collaboration with the new Presidency of CIOFS: formation and Youfra. In the field of formation the Conference will be able to help through formation meetings and seminars and in the animation and promotion of the Franciscan Youth by presenting the youth with a rich and consistent formation in human, Christian and Franciscan values. In this way it will expose them to the great variety of possible vocations in the whole Franciscan family.

Other Projects

We would like to present some future areas of action for the assistance and mission of the SFO.

1. For qualified assistance one should know the Rule and General Constitutions of the SFO and the new Statutes for Assistance. The major superiors should study the legislation of the SFO in order to familiarize themselves with the changes in the Order and to provide for adequate assistance in line with the spirit of the legislation of the SFO.
2. The First Order and the Third Order Regular need to be invited to update some texts of their respective legislation to bring them in line with the legislation of the SFO.
3. Formative meetings and seminars for national, regional and local assistants, and also for other Franciscan religious need to be planned and conducted.
4. Major superiors should appoint all assistants, including women religious or secular Franciscans specially prepared for the task.
5. Pastoral visits, specifically to national fraternities, and promotion of collegial assistance at national and regional levels need to be planned.
6. Another task of the assistants is in vocational promotion and animation in order to invite men and women to follow Christ in the manner of Saint Francis in the secular state of life.
7. To favor collaboration between assistants and SFO leadership in the formation and growth of Youfra.
8. To promote meetings of adolescents and children to order to initiate them in the knowledge of Francis and the Franciscan Family.
9. To encourage sharing of existing formation materials by putting them at the disposition of fraternities who need them most.
10. To care for the collaboration and involvement in apostolic and social initiatives of fraternity in preference to those of individual persons.
11. To promote a culture of collaboration, cooperation and co-responsibility between secular and religious Franciscans especially in the fields of administration and collaboration in their missions.
12. To animate secular Franciscans to be instruments of unity, of peace and of fraternity in a divided and violent world and to be promoters of justice, peace and care for creation.
13. To develop a sense of belonging to the Order in the Church and in society but also in regard to contributing economically to their own Order.

We have tried to share with you, leaders of the SFO at the highest level, the life, the programs and the concerns of the Conference of General Spiritual Assistants and the service we have given during the past six years to the International Fraternity as General Spiritual Assistants.

In order to make the presence and Christian Franciscan witness of the members of the Secular Franciscan Order ever more meaningful in the areas of family, work and social, political and cultural life, the Conference specifically promotes three aspects of the SFO: its unity, secularity and autonomy. Our assistance to the SFO has demonstrated to us the beauty and importance of the Franciscan charism in the life of the Church, in the situation of present day life and in the education and formation of youth.

We think it is important to emphasize again the need for formation and information about the SFO in the centers of initial and on-going formation of the First Order and the Third Order Regular so that the friars may come to know and appreciate the lay nature of the Franciscan charism which enriches and completes its religious aspect. Only by knowing the SFO will we love it, by loving it we will be able to foster it, by fostering it we will assist and accompany it with our heart and do everything possible to work together in our mission in the Church and in Society.

Fr. Valentín Redondo, OFMConv
President, Conference of General Spiritual Assistants